Top rookies cut from SEAG 5

MANILA, Philippines - The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) has trimmed down its pool for the 27th Southeast Asian Games as coach Jong Uichico decided to drop pro-bound college stars Terrence Romeo, Raymond Almazan and RR Garcia and La Salle center Arnold van Opstal.

Romeo, Almazan and Garcia were cut after the teams that drafted them in the PBA rookie draft did not reply to Uichico’s request while van Opstal has to attend to his academics at La Salle to secure eligibility for the next UAAP season.

Naturalized player Marcus Douthit leads the remaining players in the 13-man pool, which also includes Gilas cadets Kevin Alas, Garvo Lanete, Jake Pascual, Ronald Pascual and Matt Ganuelas.

Collegiate stalwarts Bobby Ray Parks Jr. of National U, Kiefer Ravena of Ateneo, Kevin Ferrer of University of Santo Tomas, Jericho Cruz of Adamson, Prince Caperal of Arellano, and Mark Belo of Far Eastern complete the roster. University of the East’s Roi Sumang is also in the pool but has yet to attend practice due to foot injury.

Uichico is set to submit his final 12 to the Philippine Olympic Committee’s SEAG task force next Wednesday.

The cagers are expected to run roughshod over the opposition in the Dec. 8-16 cagefest of the SEAG, where Phl has lost only once since the sport was first played in 1977.

Meanwhile, the women’s team Perlas Pilipinas’ participation is still up in the air as it has yet to get the greenlight from the task force. 

Perlas placed fourth in the group stage of the FIBA Asia Women’s Championship Level II, posting victories over Hong Kong, Uzbekistan and reigning SEA Games titlist Thailand but losing to Malaysia and Indonesia.

“When they won their first three games, we felt they were already good to go. But then they lost to Malaysia and Indonesia and now this will become factor in our deliberations,” said chef de mission Jeff Tamayo.